When I make a promise to another person, I do my best to keep it. When I make a promise to myself, I tend to default. I’ve learned this about myself through the years and as a way to compensate I ask other people to help me keep my promises.
I made one of these infant socks a few years ago. The sock turned up when I was going through my works in progress. I’m going to finish it this week, I promised myself. It didn’t happen. The promise I made myself seemed insignificant. Why should I bother keeping some inconsequential promise to myself? Because breaking promises can become a habit. I found myself figuring out ways to excuse my lack of follow-through.
If I decide to make a promise to myself today, I make it public. I don’t necessarily tell everyone but I tell enough people to make myself accountable. I told my daughter-in-law, I knit a pair of socks for Theo and I’ll bring them over next week. The second sock got done.
If I commit to writing a blog post every day on the Advent Word of the day, then I do it because I made a commitment to you. Each day during Advent, I commit to writing a post using the Advent Word of the day as a prompt. The first word was “Promise”. Come back each day to see the new post and an Advent knitting update!
I do want to be able to keep a promise that I just make to myself. I think it’s an important way of showing respect. I’m working up to it. In the meantime, thank you for keeping me at the computer writing.
Contemplative Knitting 
Lovely picture, adorable socks! Thank you for all of yourself for posts throughout the year, and I look forward to reading your advent posts. I don’t think I’ve commented before but I always enjoy reading your blog and perhaps I should have done; it’s good to let people know that what they put into the world is appreciated. Thank you
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Thank YOU!!! You are so right, it’s good to know that people appreciate my efforts!
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You are definitely appreciated! You always make me pause, think and reflect. Your writing is generous, wise, thoughtful and insightful. Thank you. (And i’m totally here for knitting pics too; activates oxyticin in a cortisol world)
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…and from the Southern Tier, my appreciation as well. I learn from your words AND I’ve begun looking at my sometimes feeble needle efforts in a new way!!
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Any effort at creating is awesome! I am trying to be ok with my “mistakes”. I recently knit a pair of mittens what might fit a huge gorilla so I had enough yarn to start another pair and I adjusted my needle size way down and they are working out. I learned a lot.
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Thank YOU, Julie.
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Promises I make to others are sacrosaint, but to myself not so much. This is a wonderful reminder to value promises to self as much as I do promises to others.
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Thanks for sharing! I believe you have accurately described me 😦 This is a good reminder for myself.
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